Chapter 58

Elara

“Smile, Mommy! Smile, Daddy! Please!”

My breath caught at the sound of those words, all the heat in my chest suddenly cooling like a flame snuffed out.

Smile.

Our little ritual. The one thing that had always, always, cheered me up when things couldn’t possibly seem to get worse.

Sometimes, Zoe really was wise beyond her years. I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing, a byproduct of the suffering she’d endured, but right now it didn’t matter. All that mattered was this moment.

And our palpable regret.

Alaric froze, his eyes cutting away from mine to look down at Zoe clinging to my legs, her big eyes wide and glistening with tears. Ella stood a step behind her, gripping the edge of the doorway, her face pale and her stuffed bear dangling from one hand.

I swallowed hard, my pulse slowing. No matter what happened between me and Alaric, it was never supposed to involve the girls. They were the purely innocent ones in this matter, and neither of them deserved to feel unsafe or uncertain. I couldn’t bear to let them hear us fight, to think for so much as one moment that their lives were anything but blissful.

And yet, our argument tonight had not only woken them up, but made them cry.

I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t fix it as quickly as possible.

Smiling, I crouched down to Zoe’s level and pinched her cheeks. “I’m okay, love. See? I’m smiling.”

She squinted at me, skeptical as ever. Then, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her soft cheek against mine. “I was so worried, Mommy.”

Ella stepped forward, glancing at Alaric with a wrinkle in her brow that looked an awful lot like him, even though she wasn’t his biological daughter. It was uncanny sometimes, honestly. “Daddy, you too,” she said sternly. “You have to smile. Zoe said so.”

Alaric’s jaw worked, his hands flexing at his sides. He shifted awkwardly, his usual icy exterior cracking just enough for me to see the frustration drain out of him. Slowly, he knelt beside me, ruffling Ella’s hair and forcing the faintest smile that barely lifted the corner of his mouth.

It was faint, but it was something. More than what he would have done before. And better than nothing.

Zoe, however, pulled back, her eyes flicking between us like she wasn’t fully convinced. Then she grabbed Ella’s hand, pulling her sister toward the door. “We’re locking you in here until you both smile for real,” she declared, pushing the door shut behind them with a dramatic click.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I just stood there, stunned, staring at the door like I half-expected them to open it and come charging back in with more demands. Alaric exhaled slowly, standing and shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

“They take after you,” he muttered, looking away.

I shot him a withering glare. “They’re just trying to keep the peace.”

“Yeah, well, they shouldn’t have to.”

The statement wasn’t accusatory, not by a long shot. But it still made me stiffen. I met his gaze across the room, the weight of his words sitting heavily between us. Neither of us moved for a long moment, neither of us sure where to begin.

Finally, I broke the silence. “I’m not interested in Asher.” Somehow I managed to keep my voice steady despite the tightness in my chest. “I only went to him because I thought he could help you. That’s all.”

Alaric didn’t respond right away. He lowered his head slightly, his hair falling across his forehead. “You hugged him.”

“Yes, because he opened up to me. And I thought… maybe he isn’t the monster you think he is.”

His gaze snapped up, sharp as a dagger. “He’s not who you think he is, Elara.”

“And maybe he’s not who you think he is either.”

Alaric exhaled sharply, as if trying to keep his patience in check. “You don’t know him like I do, Elara. You didn’t grow up with him. You didn’t see what he was capable of. I let you in on my life, let you stay here for the girls, but this isn’t your fight to fight.”

The dismissal stung. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to keep my frustration from showing on my face. “I thought we were supposed to be in this together. I thought that was the point,” I whispered.

Alaric rubbed the back of his neck, his shoulders stiffer than ever. “I’m just trying to protect you, that’s all.”

“By pushing me away?”

He didn’t answer, but his silence was enough to confirm it. I took a step forward, closing the space between us. His eyes followed me cautiously, the muscles in his arms flexing like he was preparing for whatever argument I was about to throw at him.

But I didn’t argue. Instead, I rested a hand gently on his forearm.

“I don’t care what Asher has done,” I said softly. “I care about you. And I know you’re hurting. I know that whatever happened with Sarah still weighs on you.”

His entire body tensed at the mention of his late wife’s name, but I kept going.

“You can keep pushing me away, but I’m not leaving just yet,” I continued quietly. “If you want to find the truth, we’ll find it together. I’m not just some stranger living under your roof. I’m your mate, whether you like it or not.” I took a deep breath and gestured to the mark on my neck.

“And I’m not going to let you carry this alone,” I finished.

Alaric’s eyes softened, and for a fleeting moment, the mask slipped. I could see the man beneath it, the man who had been holding onto his grief and pain for far too long.

And then, slowly, he began to move. It started small; his hand covered mine, his palm rough and warm, and his thumb brushed over my knuckles.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he admitted quietly. “I lost Sarah. I can’t… go through that again.”

For some reason, I felt compelled to close the remaining distance. I stepped closer, resting my forehead against his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, and to my surprise, he didn’t pull away.

“You won’t lose me,” I whispered into his shirt. “We’ll uncover the truth, Alaric. Together. If that’s what you want.”

For a moment, Alaric was tense, stiff. But then, slowly, he began to relax. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. He didn’t kiss me, didn’t make any grand gestures. Just held me.

And for the first time in weeks, I felt the bond between us hum faintly to life, like a fragile thread weaving us back together.

As we stood there together, wrapped up in one another’s warmth, the door creaked softly. I lifted my head, glancing toward the open doorway just in time to catch the sound of soft footsteps retreating down the hall. The door now stood ajar, revealing the dark corridor beyond.

“Looks like we’re not locked in anymore,” Alaric chuckled softly, lifting his brows.

I smiled faintly, brushing my trembling fingers through Alaric’s hair before stepping back. Then, I reached for his hand and intertwined my fingers with his.

“Good,” I said softly, nodding my head toward the door. “Maybe it’s a sign that you should come to bed now.”